1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cargo handling assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cargo handling assembly which may be employed in combination with overland vehicles such as standard-sized passenger vans, minivans, and other similarly designed vehicles; can be easily installed in such vehicles without modifying them; and is operable to load and unload bulky, heavy cargo in a highly efficient fashion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with numerous examples of cargo handling assemblies which are adapted to manipulate or otherwise handle cargo which is being loaded or unloaded from various overland vehicles such as railroad cars, automobiles, trucks and the like. These prior-art cargo handling assemblies normally require some modification of the various overland vehicles in order to render the devices operational. Typically, the overland vehicles are less useful when modified and, sometimes, aesthetically unappealing following the modification. In addition, the prior-art cargo handling assemblies, as a general matter, have been considered rather cumbersome, and frequently unduly complex, thereby rendering these devices somewhat expensive to manufacture and difficult to install and maintain.
In addition to the shortcomings noted above, many of the prior-art cargo handling assemblies often have a design which requires the operator to expend substantial amounts of strength to load or unload the cargo, as the case may be, because these devices do not orient the cargo in an appropriate position for ease of handling. Consequently, many of the prior-art devices, while useful, cannot be operated by the elderly, handicapped, or people having small amounts of strength.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a cargo handling assembly which is operable to handle heavy cargo, and which further can be quickly installed in an overland vehicle without the modification of same, and which additionally, increases the ease, and speed with which heavy cargo may be transported and delivered.